There have been numerous proposals for mounting an external cargo carrier on a vehicle in association with a vehicle hitch or similar structural arrangement at the rear of vehicles. There are significant advantages of mounting a cargo carrier behind the vehicle as opposed to atop the vehicle in the reduction of aerodynamic resistance and the avoidance of additional vehicle height which might be problematic in areas with restricted overhead clearance. However, while a roof top carrier is generally considered "out of the way" when it comes to most vehicular functions, a cargo carrier which is disposed at the rear of a vehicle seriously detracts from the access to the rear of the vehicle including the access to the trunk in cars and prevention of the opening of rear doors or hatches in vehicles such as vans.
In order to overcome access problems, two main solutions have evolved. The first is to have an easily removable carrier. However, many such devices provide a substantial structure which is attached to the vehicle whereupon removal of the carrier results in the substantial supporting structure remaining with the vehicle until it too is removed or being carried along with the carrier, making it significantly heavier and cumbersome to manoeuver. Such arrangements also tend to unnecessarily provide duplicate structure in both the support and the carrier. The second solution is to provide a swing-away structure on which the carrier is supported. While these arrangements function well they tend to be relatively expensive due to their complexity.